IND vs PAK: How MS Dhoni inspired Usman Tariq to leave his sales job and pursue cricket amid T20 World Cup 2026

India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 clash has become a topic of discussion. This match is scheduled to be played on February 15 at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. In terms of securing a place in the Super 8 from Group A, this match is extremely important. Meanwhile, for Team India, a major challenge in this match will be Pakistan's spin bowler Usman Tariq, who has been making headlines since his debut and has also been a source of trouble for the batter in the current tournament. 28-year-old off-spinner Usman Tariq is in the spotlight more for his bowling action than his performance. 

During bowling, Tariq pauses in the middle and then delivers the ball. By doing this, he gets a sense of what the batter intends to do and then bowls accordingly. Now, this Pakistani off-spinner has made a big revelation before the match against India, saying how he was inspired to pursue a career in cricket after watching the biopic of former Indian captain MS Dhoni. Dhoni's biopic was released in 2016, and his role was played by Sushant Singh Rajput, who is no longer with us.  The film traces MS Dhoni's journey from childhood to becoming India's most successful captain. It inspired Usman Tariq to leave his job as a salesman and pursue a cricket career.

"I had left behind thinking of making a name in cricket, but one day I watched this film, and it convinced me that I can also do the same," Usman Tariq told AFP.

See Also: ‘Time to move on…’- Former BCCI selector reveals story of asking MS Dhoni to leave white-ball captaincy

Usman Tariq's bowling action is mired in controversy

Usman Tariq has played only four T20I matches for Pakistan so far, conceding runs at an economy rate of 5.93 and taking 11 wickets. Tariq participated in a match against the USA in the T20 World Cup 2026, where he took three wickets. However, after this match, his bowling action became a topic of discussion on social media. A large number of Indian fans accused him of chucking. Meanwhile, India's former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that Usman’s action is legal and that taking a pause is part of his regular action. Therefore, there should be no objection regarding this.

Now it remains to be seen with what approach the Indian batters will bat against Usman Tariq on Sunday. Meanwhile, Pakistan's other spinners could also pose a problem on Colombo's slow pitch. In such a scenario, everyone is excited about the contest between the Indian batters and the Pakistani spinners.